Technology in Silver Spring, Md.
Dr. Allen Gotora and the staff at Stellar Dental want their patients to have the best care possible! That’s why, in addition to good old-fashioned dental techniques, they also use the most up-to-date dental technology available!
Electric handpiece
Dr. Gotora and the team at Stellar Dental know that you want to get your teeth cleaned and examined and then get back to your day. That’s why they use electric handpieces for fast teeth cleanings.
A handpiece is the tool that the dental hygienist uses to remove decay from teeth. The old way of cleaning teeth meant using air-driven tools, but electric handpieces contain a motor. This makes removing tooth decay a process that goes much more quickly, and an electric handpiece makes it easy for the hygienist to do a very thorough job.
Rotary endodontics
If you have been told you need a root canal, you probably aren’t looking forward to it very much. However, if you are a patient of Dr. Gotora and Stellar Dental, you’ll be happy to know that Dr. Gotora uses rotary endodontics for root canals. This is the latest in root canal therapy technology, and it makes the procedure smoother and more comfortable for patients.
A root canal removes infected soft pulp inside the tooth. This procedure, of course, can be uncomfortable for patients. That’s why you need rotary endodontics!
Rotary endodontics is the use of electric powered instruments rather than the traditional hand-held files. These instruments have a strong and flexible nickel titanium tip that cleans the root canal space out quickly, smoothly and consistently. These instruments are also very quiet, so that the procedure can be done without that grinding, loud noise that most people think of when they think of going to the dentist.
Root canals already have a very high success rate, but with rotary endodontics the dentist can perform the procedure even more precisely with even less chance of any complications.
Oral cancer screenings
What better time to be checked for oral cancer than when you go to the dentist for your exam and cleaning?
It is very important to catch and treat this disease in the early stages before it has a chance to spread to another part of the body. However, in the early stages, the patient may not have any pain or even any signs of oral cancer. This is why it is especially important that you have an oral cancer screening.
Dr. Gotora will perform a visual exam and check for any sores or discolored tissue. He will feel for any lumps or irregularities on your head and neck, and in your oral cavity. Then, Dr. Gotora will use an ultraviolet light, a state-of-the-art piece of dental technology that can detect potential cancer cells.
Intraoral camera
An intraoral camera is a very small camera about the size of a dental mirror that also has a light on it. The dentist can put it into the patient’s mouth and get a close-up look at the condition of the teeth and gums. The image from the camera is projected onto a monitor.
The intraoral camera makes it easy for the dentist to show the patient exactly what the problem is, and why a treatment is needed. It also helps the dentist to spot any problems that may be easy to miss with the naked eye.
If you need to see a specialist, or you need to have a procedure approved by your insurance company, pictures from the intraoral camera can quickly and easily be e-mailed. This saves time for the patient and the staff at the dentist’s office. And, e-mailing the images has a benefit for the environment as well.
Digital X-rays
Traditional dental X-rays used to mean extra time spent at the dentist’s office because you had to sit there waiting for the X-rays to be developed. Patients might also be sitting there worrying about how much radiation they were getting from those X-rays!
However, digital X-rays have 80 percent less radiation than traditional X-rays. And, the results of digital X-rays are available within seconds. For a digital X-ray, a sensor is inserted into the patient’s mouth. The sensor is connected to a computer and a monitor. The monitor displays the picture of the X-ray automatically. There is no need to wait for X-ray films to develop.
This picture of the X-ray is crisp and clean and if it’s not, it’s very easy for the dentist to take a new one. It is easy for the dentist to enlarge and make adjustments so that the dentist can get a good look at the patient’s teeth and gums. This also means it is easy for the dentist to show the patient any problems he sees and explain why a treatment is recommended.
Panorex X-ray
It used to be that when you got an X-ray at your dentist’s office, it would show cavities in or in between teeth. However, the Panorex X-ray not only checks your teeth. It does so much more!
The Panorex X-ray is sometimes referred to as a full mouth X-ray. It takes a picture of all of your teeth and the surrounding bones. This means that the Panorex X-ray can spot many oral health problems. It can show the dentist if you have:
- Issues with the jaw joint (the temporomandibular joint)
- Teeth that are impacted (emerging from the gums improperly)
- Bone or gum disease
- Early signs of cancer
- Issues with the salivary glands, such as stones
- Signs of an impending stroke
- Signs of osteoporosis (decreased bone strength and density, which increases the risk of broken bones)
- Damage from any trauma the patient has had that may not be visible to the naked eye
If you are having problems with your oral health, Dr. Gotora and Stellar Dental can help, with the latest dental technology available! There are two convenient locations in Hyattsville and Silver Spring. Call (301) 754-1900 to make an appointment today!
